Food Safety Technologies Applicable for Small and Very Small Plants

FSIS in Fiscal Year 2003 funded Cooperative Agreements to identify technologies feasible for small and very small plants and to foster their adoption to enhance the beneficial effects of new technology on food safety and public health.  Completed studies on new technology are now available. - Posted 11/30/05 by JBW

U.S. Scales Back Ban On Poultry From British Columbia

The U.S. has now scaled back the ban on all poultry imports from British Columbia after a duck there had tested positive for bird flu. - Posted 11/30/05 by AHB

U.S. Opens To China

FSIS proposes rule allowing China to export processed poultry products to U.S. - Posted 11/29/05 by AHB

Combatting Retail Theft

Retailers lose billions of dollars... and a lot of meat... each year from shoplifting, employee theft and organized retail theft. - Posted 11/29/05 by AHB

China Steps Up Bird-Flu Prevention Measures While The Netherlands Scales Back

Precautions in China to prevent bird flu are being increased for international air travelers and the Netherlands will be lifting requirements keeping birds in "high risk" areas indoors starting January 1st. - Posted 11/29/05 by AHB

FSIS Awards More Than $2.5 Million In Cooperative Agreements

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that more than $2.5 million in cooperative agreement projects were awarded to academic institutions, non-profit organizations, as well as federal and state government agencies. - Posted 11/28/05 by AHB

Produce Causes More Illness Than Meat, Eggs

More people get sick every year from tainted produce than from seafood, poultry, beef or eggs, a new report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest has found. - Posted 11/23/05 by JBW

More Bird Flu In Russia, China; Indonesia Cases Unreported?

An H5 strain of bird flu has been detected in 200 swans found dead in the Volga River delta in southern Russia. - Posted 11/23/05 by JBW

Experts Say Pandemic Fears Premature

A global outbreak of the deadly avian influenza virus is possible but not inevitable. - Posted 11/22/05 by JBW

Canadian Poultry Banned

Imports of poultry from British Columbia are banned following the discovery of avian influenza in a duck. - Posted 11/22/05 by JBW

Senators Attempt To Derail COOL Delay

A coalition of Western Senators is attempting to overturn a provision that puts of implementation of mandatory country-of-origin labeling until at least fall of 2008. - Posted 11/22/05 by JBW

Animal Rights Groups File Suit Over Poultry Slaughter Methods

The Humane Society of the United States and other animal rights advocates filed a federal suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. - Posted 11/22/05 by JBW

Readiness Lacking In Flu Preparations

Government official warns that the country may be caught off-guard in the event of an influenza pandemic. - Posted 11/22/05 by JBW

Brit-born Texan Diagnosed With vCJD

30-year-old British male living in Houston is believed to be the second victim of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States. - Posted 11/21/05 by JBW

Organic Food Research Gets Financial Boost

USDA will provide more than $4.5 million to fund research on organic food and fiber. - Posted 11/18/05 by JBW

USDA Offers Food Safety Advice For Your Thanksgiving Meal

Agriculture Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond discussed important tips for preventing foodborne illness during the holidays. - Posted 11/17/05 by JBW

DeHaven: New Rule For Older Canadian Cattle On the Way

The Bush administration plans to lift BSE-related restrictions on the import of Canadian cattle 30 months of age or older within the next year. - Posted 11/17/05 by JBW

New Tool Found For Building Food Safety

USDA researchers investigate a natural protein that reduces bacteria contamination of chicken. - Posted 11/17/05 by JBW

Americans Don't Follow Food Guides

A survey finds that most U.S. consumers don't adhere to USDA's food pyramid. - Posted 11/16/05 by JBW

Bush Set To Discuss Beef Ban With Japan's Prime Minister

President Bush is expected to take up the long-simmering issue of Japan's two-year embargo of U.S. beef. - Posted 11/16/05 by JBW

Consumers say They'd Consider Buying "Cloned Meat"

Most U.S. consumers say they would consider buying meat and milk produced from cloned animals, provided the federal government declares that it's safe. - Posted 11/15/05 by JBW

FSIS Awards More Than $2.5 Million for 2005 Cooperative Agreements

USDA announces cooperative agreement projects awarded to academic institutions, non-profit organizations and federal and state government agencies in fiscal year 2005. - Posted 11/14/05 by JBW

Higher BSE Safe Guards Promised

The government will expand instead of scale-back beef cattle testing for the brain-destroying disease. - Posted 11/14/05 by JBW

Bill Prohibiting Livestock Forward Contracting Introduced In House

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) has introduced legislation (H.R. 4257) that would prohibit the use of forward contracts and formula pricing in the livestock sector. - Posted 11/11/05 by JBW

GAO Scalds FDA On Feed Ban

The GAO issued a report stating that the FDA is too slow in testing feed samples to prevent corrupted feed from reaching the nation's beef herd. - Posted 11/10/05 by JBW

Supreme Court Rules For Workers In Tyson Pay Dispute

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that time spent donning and doffing in a meat plant is compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). - Posted 11/9/05 by JBW

FSIS and FDA To Explore Jurisdictions

FSIS of the USDA and the FDA of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is examining the jurisdiction over certain food products that contain meat and poultry. - Posted 11/7/05 by JBW

THE VOCAL POINT

Activist's Murderous Message (Finally) Draws Wrath Of Congress - Posted 11/4/05 by JBW

Most Cattle In Sick Cow's Herd Slaughtered

According to a report in The Dallas Morning News , around 85 percent of the 413 herdmates or progeny of the Texas cow found with BSE were slaughtered and likely entered the food supply. - Posted 11/4/05 by JBW

Agencies To Hold Public Meeting

USDA and HHS Agencies Work Together to Examine the Jurisdiction of Certain Food Categories. - Posted 11/3/05 by JBW

Japan's Food Safety Commission Approves Report

A report readied by a prion committee of the independent Food Safety Commission calling beef from young Canadian and U.S. cattle low-risk has been accepted by the commission. - Posted 11/3/05 by JBW

FSIS Announces Quick and Efficient Method of Detecting E. coli O157:H7

The USDA's FSIS announced that it is adopting the BAX® system to detect Escherichia coli O157:H7 in raw beef. - Posted 11/2/05 by JBW

PERSPECTIVE

Radical animal rights groups will stop at nothing to advance their agendas, Dr. Dom Castaldo says. - Posted 11/2/05 by JBW

Pathogenic Avian Influenza Found In Canada

Officials report the disease in migrating wild ducks, but don't believe it is related to the outbreak in Asia. - Posted 11/2/05 by JBW

Bush Calls For Billions To Fund U.S. Bird Flu Strategy

President Bush outlined a $7.1 billion strategy to protect the United States if bird flu becomes a human pandemic. - Posted 11/2/05 by JBW

Lawmakers Delay COOL

Congress delayed implementation of the mandatory country-of-origin-labeling law until Sept. 30, 2008. - Posted 11/1/05 by JBW

Conference Committee Delays Mandatory COOL

Mandatory country-of-origin labeling will be delayed at least two more years. - Posted 11/1/05 by JBW

Japanese Technical Panel OK's U.S., Canadian Beef

The scientific panel tasked by Japan's independent Food Safety Commission reported that the risk of BSE is very low. - Posted 11/1/05 by JBW